GMB Elements vs. Animal Flow

When we introduced our program, Elements, several years ago, one of the most common questions we began receiving was: “How is Elements different from Animal Flow?”

Animal Flow is a program developed by our good friend Mike Fitch from Global Bodyweight Training, and on the surface, it may look very similar to Elements. After all, they’re both programs that focus on locomotive exercises and they both feature good looking guys ;).

In all seriousness, while the programs may look similar at first glance, they’re actually quite different (although they do complement each other well).

Here are Ryan and Mike talking about the differences and similarities between the programs:

Let’s look at some key aspects to compare:

GMB's Elements

GBT's Animal Flow

Type

Movement Based

Movement Based

Delivery System

• Online streaming
• Downloads available

• DVD
• Online streaming

Cost

$75

• $59.95 for DVD
• $49.95 for online streaming

Client Support

• Email
• Alpha Posse member forum (paid)

• Facebook group

Audience

Beginner

Beginner

Format

Step-by-step daily program (8 weeks)

Instructional (no specific programming length)

Plan

Programmed each day for the length of the program

Create your own exercise routine from the instructional videos

Animal Flow emphasizes 3 contralateral movements–Ape, Beast, and Crab–with a total of 26 exercises stemming from those. It’s taught as a series of movements that can be chained together. The videos provide good cueing of the exercise technique, and give a good basis for creating your own program. We highly recommend Animal Flow as a complement to your movement practice.

Elements also emphasizes 3 primary locomotive movements, but it’s designed as an 8-week program with day-by-day instruction. The Animal Flow team often recommends Elements as a starting point for locomotive training.

While the programs share certain similarities, the goal of each is quite different.

If you’re looking for a program you can follow, with an end point, Elements is a great introduction to movement training and will give you a foundation of strength, flexibility, and motor control.